Sunday, July 29, 2012

Other than book reviews, I rarely endorse
people and their products, but so many colleagues have mentioned that they
would like a well written website. When I heard a colleague Harry Pope, an
author in Sussex, enthuse about his new presence on the web, provided by Gareth
Thomas, he wrote to me about it.

Do
check out www.harrythewriter.com. Harry comments: “ It was
so easy to construct, all I had to do was provide the technical man, Gareth,
with my copy, plus photos. He held my hand throughout; we have never met, so it
is unimportant to be close to communicate. This has been finished in well under
a week, and is amazingly reasonable after all the mystique with which other web
site designers manage to shroud their knowledge! Initially I went online to
check the availability of the domain name, chose what I wanted, told Gareth who
purchased, and the rest all fell neatly into place.”This is such an inexpensive way to showcase
your work, being so easy to refer potential readers to your market.

Gareth Thomas

Gareth's contact details follow. He manages to
keep the price so low and you have an excellent choice of templates. If you
need something more extravagant with lots of pages, all singing and dancing -
he can organise this, too, but why not contact him and discuss your needs.
Harry Pope is confident to recommend this young man's webmastering ability and
Business Biscotti seems keen, too. toyou@sky.comhttp://www.casual-media.com

Friday, July 27, 2012

Well, they're here - 2012 London Olympics and we were up at dawn to witness the great ceremonial bell ringing at St Mary Magdalen church. In good company, with Big Ben in London and church bells around Britain. Our town crier, James Shrubb, in full regalia gave a great rendition and was in full cry. See Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

As a local historian, I welcome
new books that increase our knowledge of our surroundings and the lives of
those people whose names are reflected in our street and place names. Allen Buckroyd’s earlier book on Great Baddow
was warmly received and sold out quickly.I am not disappointed with his latest local history book CHELMSFORDHEREANDNOW which is on sale at
Chelmsford Central Library and good local bookshops. It is fascinating and I
learned a lot.

Newly created as a city,
Chelmsford’s provenance goes back more than two thousand years, being a staging
post between Londinium (London) and Camulodonum (Colchester) which the Romans
elevated to the capital of Britain.Archaeological Roman remains have been found in surrounding villages,
particularly in the nearby village of Writtle.This spot was the site of a royal hunting lodge, built in 1211 in the
time of King John.

Mr Buckroyd’s book covers every
aspect of our county city. Using his own photographs, he takes us on a tour of
the town centre, with its town sign in the High Street, highlighting
Chelmsford’s motto “Many minds one heart”, explaining the major symbols and the
luminaries who were born there and whose names are associated with the city.

We learn about the genius
Guglielmo Marconi, who, in 1899, opened the first electronics factory in the
world in Hall Street which subsequently moved to New Street in 1912.Worldwide industrial companies started in
Chelmsford; Hoffmans, Crompton
Parkinson,Christy’s and more, employing
thousands living in Essex.

This is an excellent book,
written with care and illustrated with hundreds of photographs taken by the author. Mr Buckroyd
should be rightly proud of his contribution to Essex history.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Lottie’s Song – The Gift of Life

For those of you who have just landed on this site, there is a very exciting and important event happening which means a lot to many people needing organ donations.

Lottie Bryon-Edmond known as ‘Chip’ is the smallest and youngest baby in the world to have survived a liver transplant. On 7th July a Charity Single was released around the world. This CD outlines the story of Lottie's fight for life. Do read about this little girl and and the valuable business of raising awareness of the national shortage of Organ Donors. Funds for four key charities are linked to this inspirational venture. It was the brain child of Tina Hawker and is written and performed by Nick Tilley.

Four
happily married couples were awarded a Flitch of Bacon at Saturday’s Dunmow
Flitch Trials 2012 today

The
ancient court, which once again sat on Saturday, in the centre of Dunmow, heard
applications from five claimants, during three court sessions, with each couple
hoping for a slice of the famous Bacon. Four were successful, and one couple
were denied a Flitch, but accepted the consolation of a piece of Gammon.

The
historic trials – which date back to the twelfh century- are held every four years and
set out to award a flitch (or side) of bacon to married couples from anywhere
in the world, if they can satisfy a Judge and Jury of six maidens and six
bachelors that in 'twelvemonth and a day' they have 'not wisht
themselves unmarried again'.Couples must have been married for at least a year and a day. A
reference to The Dunmow Flitch Trials is even in “The Wife of Bath's Tale”
within Chaucer's 14th century Canterbury Tales.

This
year’s trials were held on the 14th July 2012 on Talbards Ley, Great
Dunmow in Essex.Applicants are not
restricted to residents of Dunmow only, and this year’s claimants included a
retired couple from Spain, and a couple where the wife was Australian as well
as two well-known local couples

Often
couples come from far and wide to try and claim the Flitch.It is not a competition between the
couples.All couples could be successful
in their claim, which is vigorously defended by Counsel employed on behalf of
the Donors of the Bacon, whose job it is to test their evidence and to try and
persuade the Jury not to grant them the Flitch.

The
unsuccessful couple walked behind their empty chair, as the Flitch custom
dictates, whilst the three of the successful couples were carried shoulder high
by bearers (humble folk) in the ancient Flitch Chair to the Market Place, with
the final successful couple, Mr Harrington and Ms Lovell walking in front of
their chair due to the health and safety risks of carrying a heavily pregnant
woman shoulder high, by chair-bearers who had been enjoying the hospitality of
several local establishments during the day.

The
couples then mounted the dray in the Market Place, where they each took the Flitch
oath (similar to pre-Reformation marriage vows) whilst kneeling on pointed
stones.

Wish't yourselves unmarried again

But continue true and desire

As when you joined hands in holy quire”

The modern
Trials take the form of a court presided over by a Judge, with Counsel
representing the claimants, and opposing Counsel representing the donors
of the Flitch of Bacon, a Jury of six maidens and six bachelors, a Clerk
of the Court to record the proceedings and Usher to maintain order.

The court is
held in a marquee erected on Talbards Ley, Great Dunmow in Essex.Applicants come from far and wide to try
and claim the Flitch.It is not a
competition between the couples.All couples could be successful in their claim, which is vigorously
defended by Counsel employed on behalf of the Donors of the Bacon, whose
job it is to test their evidence and to try and persuade the Jury not to
grant them the Flitch.

Successful
couples are then carried shoulder high by bearers (humble folk) in the
ancient Flitch Chair to the Market Place where they take the oath (similar
to pre-Reformation marriage vows) kneeling on pointed stones.Unsuccessful couples have to walk behind
the empty chair to the Market Place, consoled with a prize of a gammon.

The original
custom of awarding a Flitch to those who can prove marital harmony is not
unique to Dunmow.There are
references from across Europe of similar customs now long abandoned.However, the town of Great Dunmow is
unique in continuing to reward marital harmony with a Flitch of Bacon well
into the 21st century.With each
Trial come amusement, entertainment, renewed community spirit and another
piece of history to a beautiful and prosperous town.

Sunday, July 08, 2012

Presenter at BBC Essex, Dave Monk will be in court tomorrow at the Great Dunmow Trials

Weekend of 14th/15th sees the appearance of the Dunmow Flitch Trials, so very famous around the world. TV and radio stations will be visiting this most famous of English traditions. A flitch of bacon is awarded to married couples from anywhere in the world if they can satisfy the Judge and Jury of six maidens and six bachelors that in 'twelvemonth and a day', they have 'not wisht themselves unmarried again'. Here's yours truly with the bridesmaids of 2008.

Numerous books refer to this 800-year-old Essex story. A reference to The Dunmow Flitch can even be found in The Wife of Bath's Tale within Chaucer's 14th century Canterbury Tales. The Flitch Trials are held every 4 years in Great Dunmow, Essex, England. The town is located north-east of London, just off the A120 between the M11 at Stansted Airport and Colchester. As a folklore writer and enthusiast, I know that it is important that this unique local tradition continues for centuries to come. So if you haven't seen or heard of the Dunmow Flitch Trials before, take a browse through their website and come along and watch the trials. Here is one of the earliest images used in my book FOLKLORE OF ESSEX published by The History Press. It shows the flitch winners of 1897.

This will be my fourth set of trials and I have the photos to prove it! See you there! For details of the weekend and ticket information go to: http://www.dunmowflitchtrials.co.uk/

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Many people of a certain age have probably tried making wine at some time in their lives. It certainly is a fascinating hobby but for a few years, many lost interest due to wines becoming much cheaper to buy from supermarkets. Now that 'frugality' is the watchword of many households, some people have returned to the hobby and are turning out some pretty good wines which many of us exhibit at wine and county shows.

Now we have a wine making book with a difference. Ben Hardy, a young lawyer from Leeds, used his writing skills, along with his first forays into making wine from fruit, flowers, berries and vegetables (as well as the venerable grape).

Ben's publisher, THE GOOD LIFE PRESS in Preston has done an excellent job in presenting this fascinating book with a difference. Ben's journey in the form of a diary - from picking his raw materials, to drinking the final product (not always brilliant!), is so interesting.

He is refreshingly honest about what does and does not work. He has carefully recorded his disasters along with his triumphs and we hear about his long-suffering friends' and family's reactions.

Ben's book is receiving some goodly reviews from HOME FARMER and similar magazines, and I know that readers will enjoy reading about his enthusiastic adventures in this ancient craft.

Sunday, July 01, 2012

SPARKS REALLY DID FLY today at the Brentwood International
Centre during the town's signature event to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games. From noon onwards, this globally-themed non-stop
programme of entertainment was great with marquees full of activities, music,
dance, food and wine from around the world. The Royal British Legion Youth Band
were as impressive as ever and Brentwood's Mayor Ann Coe presented the Sparks
Will Fly champion, Boreas Zephyr's amazing procession. Brentwood Borough
Council's event programme was concise and impressive - a fun-filled day.

About Me

As a F/L columnist/author, my features have appeared in national, regional magazines and on-line journals. Following my Freelance Writer of the Year award for Writing Magine, my work has appeared in 69 titles.My book FOLKLORE OF ESSEX contributed to Channel 5’s film COUNTY SECRETS. My book THE WOMAN WRITER, published by History Press is sold at the British Library.This history of the Society of Women Writers & Journalists dates from 1894 and includes pioneers who made their mark in journalism, literature & poetry.I celebrate the centenary of Joyce Grenfell, a former SWWJ president.A chapter is dedicated to Joyce. My books were reviewed in The Times, other dailies & Youtube. I’m SWWJ’s Archivist & work with several journals including on-line specialists.Ebook titles are BRENTWOOD: HISTORIC TOWN & ST MARY MAGDALEN: BILLERICAY, downloadable via Kindle as are most 4,000 articles linked to Facebook,Twitter @sylviaakent & Suite 101. Film/audio clips now added. Check index box at top left-hand side of this page. My 10th book BARKING & DAGENHAM FROM OLD PHOTOGRAPHS sells well.I am now a Vice President of SWWJ. www.swwj.co.uk Currently 290,000 page views